We had a slow start back after the New Year as everyone struggled to get back to a routine. However we were back to our normal strength by last week and we have now started work on an in-house production of Ernie's Incredible Illucinations by Britain's most successful playwright - Alan Aykbourn. It's a great play to give everyone a good or possibly muliple parts. The main casting was done last week but even if new members come along I'm sure we can fit them in. We plan to present this towards the end of the summer term. Although working on this there will also be time for our usual warm ups, theatre games and improvisations.
We will start 'blocking' this Sunday.

The hall was not available due to a long standing birthday party booking - happy 5th birthday Emmy Phillips!
Instead we all trooped off to Cineworld in Falkirk to see Arthur Christmas and a very modern twist on how Santa does his work. Everyone enjoyed the movie and many thanks to all parents for dropping off and picking up so efficiently. I hope they managed some serious Christmas shopping.

See you back at the hall next week for a normal class...and then the week after it is our Christmas party!

Mairi and Talia looked after proceedings with the young ones and visited some familiar territory - with the Court of King Caractacus warm up, broke into groups of three for special imptrovisations that had to start with a supplied sentence, there was the Keeper of the Keys game, the Ding Dong Party improvisation where you bring a mood or action into the room - and then some more work on the Beauty is a Beast script.

Next week it's our cinema trip so Arthur Christmas here we come!

No Senior Class this Week, the next Senior class is scheduled for 11th December.

The younger class warmed up with a Wibble Wobble!

We then had a game called 'The Shakes' where one by one the youngsters shook a body part, passing that shake on to someone else - and then the next person had to transfer the shake to another body part before passing it on again. It's easier than it sounds!

We had our usual voice warm up and went back to the whisper to a shout on the alphabet.

There was a game we called 'traffic Lights'. On Green they had to rush at high speed around the room, on Amber they had to stand on one leg - and on Red they had to die a slow excruciating death - and you should have heard the screams!

We relaxed a bit after this with 'Two Truths, One Lie'. Everyone had to think about two things about themselves that were true - plus another thing that was a lie. The rest of the class had to listen to all three 'facts' and work out which one was the lie.

There was a props based storytelling and improvisation session. Everyone chose a prop at random out of a bag and then everyone in the groups that were set up had to use their props to develop a story. The story was ulimately improvised in front of the rest of the class.

Then it was on to working on the Beauty is a Beast script - but with time fast running out we will have to do more on that next week....

See you Sunday. 

The seniors this week spent a few minutes at attempted juggling. There's definitely some progress on the balls being thrown rather than passed from hand to hand.
There was the old 'tongue gym' / diction / breathing /head rolling to work on tension etc. There was the chance to work on that old chestnut 'I Am the Very Model of a Modern Major General.
Status exercises to help with character development.
Various improvisations including the return of an old favourite: First Line, Last Line when they have to start and end the improvisation with provided sentences...but what happens in between is entirely up to them.
We also worked on various scripts including a new one with two friends meeting at a cinema. We have some ideas to develop this scene further.

The young ones now know Agadoo!

Diction / tongue gym etc. This is the one time kids can stick out their tongues and get away with it!

Going under the name 'There is Only One Liar' the group made a circle and closed their eyes. I then walked around and tapped one person at random. When everyone looked up they had to point to the person they thought was 'it' and explain why. The chosen one then stepped forward. Then the exercise was repeated but this time instead of just one person, everyone was tapped - and of course everyone stepped forward at the end! So I was the liar!

There was a round of Dying Eyes. Everyone started by looking down - and when they lifted their heads they had to stare at someone else in the circle. As soon as two people stared at each other they then had to 'die' the most horrible death ever - with much hilarity!

Then it was on to working on our script and finishing reading aloud the play 'Beauty is a Beast'. It's proving quite tricky to cast when some folk are missing but we are getting there.

There has been a very positive response to our outing to see Arthur Christmas on the 4th of December. Can parents please note that you are to drop off and pick up your child /chilldren from the cinema and will advise you of times. We suggerst you get some Christmas Shopping done in the Retail Park!
All the payments are due in this Sunday. See you then!